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Tuesday, 15 March 2011 00:00 |
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For anyone who grew up in a small town, I'm sure you will probably agree that "everyone knowing you" is both a blessing and a curse. Unfortunately, our parents somehow already knew about the shenanigans we pulled before we even got home. But on the flip side, there was usually someone nearby who'd help us get out of a jam before anyone else found out. And for many of us who moved 'back home' after school, we're still hoping nobody remembers who we were during our rebellious high school days!
All kidding aside... along the way, most of us learned first-hand how the concept of trust worked. You see, in small towns, your last name carries with it your reputation. And although I'm not so sure that's completely fair, I guess your opinion probably depends on who all your family members are!
Over the years, your grandparents and parents created a reputation for what your family stands for and represents. Through their decisions, words, and actions, the people in your town formulated and shared opinions regarding your family's character and trustworthiness. Every dealing they had with someone in your town served as an opportunity to build trust or destroy it. Soon, everybody knew who could be entrusted with 'handshake credit' and who needed to pay 'cash upfront'. And once your family earned people's trust, you also learned from your parents and grandparents that your family's good reputation was something worth preserving and protecting.
When it comes to having a reputation of trustworthiness, how do you think you rank? Does your 'trust score' differ with people at work, within your family, and your circle of friends? How about when someone is in a bind, are you one of the first people they call or one of the last?
Of course, nobody's perfect. Sometimes we forget to follow through on something we said we would do. Or maybe you're really busy and you've fallen
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Tuesday, 01 March 2011 07:50 |
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When you need to hire a new employee, what are some of the traits that you look for in an applicant? How about when a position opens up and you're planning to promote someone from within your team?
If you were asked to answer those two questions at a seminar with a room full of managers, I'm sure the group would come up with a pretty long list of characteristics. Actually, it would probably be so extensive, you might decide not to hire or promote anyone until the perfect candidate comes along! But most of the time when someone chooses to quit, you need to hire their replacement as soon as possible. And unfortunately, out of desperation, you're probably even tempted to hire the next person available.
But instead of going that route, how about considering a person's employability and coachability?
I think all managers take into account how employable a candidate is whether they realize it or not. Assessing an applicant's employability involves first impressions, employment history, responses to your questions, and overall job qualifications. Neglecting to take a little extra time to honestly and fairly
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Written by Tom Wall
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Tuesday, 22 February 2011 07:20 |
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Recently, we've heard a lot about 'rights' here in the state of Wisconsin. But what we haven't heard much about are the 'duties' that come with them. And although it's been quite a while since studying logic and philosophy in college, I still remember the basic relationship between a right and its corresponding duty. Essentially, the idea is that if I have a right, then someone has a duty to provide me with that right. It's sort of like gifts at Christmas time... I can't receive a gift if no one gives me a gift. That's a pretty basic concept, wouldn't you agree?
So when it comes to your position in the marketplace, what are your rights? Like all of my customers, I too am a small business owner. I'd like to think that as an owner of a business, it's my 'right' to have a lot of customers and be profitable every year. Of course, that would mean somebody has a duty to make sure that happens. Sadly, it turns out that over the past ten years; no one has stepped up and offered this sort of guaranteed success. Instead, I've had to rely on my abilities and make the most of the opportunities that have come my way. It turns out, the harder and smarter I work, the better I do and closer I get to reaching my goals. And yet unfortunately, sometimes that's not always the case.
It seems that a lot of us, from adolescence on, tend to confuse our 'rights' with 'wants' and 'privileges'. Don't get me wrong, it's easy to do... especially in a country whose government recognizes and provides its people with so many rights. Nonetheless, we throw around the word 'rights' so easily, that we often lose sight of how precious and valuable our actual rights truly are. And on top of that, while many people are focused on demanding their rights,
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Written by Tom Wall
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Tuesday, 15 February 2011 07:05 |
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DairyInteractive.com - Tom's Wall
You work hard every day. What keeps you going? If you're completely honest, I'm sure you're probably like everyone else. Some days, the answer is "Not much." But all the other days, what is it that motivates you?
For some people, the motivation is external... involving money, possessions, and awards. For others, it's internal... involving pride of achievement and personal accomplishment. While one type of motivation is focused on the material gains as the reward, the other motivation recognizes emotional fulfillment as the reward. Although these two sources of motivation seem to be independent of each other, by no means are they mutually exclusive. It turns out that most of us are motivated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. But which of these two do you think is a more powerful motivator?
Last week, my hometown Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl 45. Yeah, it was a pretty big deal for those of us in Packer Nation. So what do you think motivated the players and coaches
throughout the season and during the ups and downs of the big game? Was it money, the Lombardi Trophy, and Super Bowl rings? Or was it the validation of knowing that their dedication and teamwork helped them achieve a childhood dream? I'd venture to guess it was both. In the case of competition (and hopefully your life's work), both the journey and the destination are the reward.
Unfortunately, the work most of us do every day isn't always like that. In all honesty, our day-to-day activities are pretty boring when compared to the high energy, time sensitive challenges found in competitive events. There's no buzzer or trophies when we're finished. When our workday ends, we go home and know that we have to get up and do it all over again tomorrow.
So how can we change that? What can you do to find something that will spark a little motivation in the hearts of your team?
First, the hard part... you need people who truly care about the work they're doing and actually want to be a part of it. Unfortunately, those people seem to be harder and harder to find every day. But once you do have the right people in place, finding something that motivates them to win gets a little easier.
Just as every team in the NFL is working to get to the Super Bowl, your team needs realistic goals to strive for every day as well. You've probably never
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the link is a business management column written by Tom Wall, president of Dairy Interactive, LLC and Language Links, LLC for owners and managers within the dairy industry. Tom’s Wall is your link to these free weekly reflections on employee management, leadership and life.
